Amid scattered fighting, Erdogan threatens to restart Syria operation Delil Souleiman,AFP•October 18, 2019 Deadly Turkish airstrikes hit Syria hours after U.S.-brokered truceScroll back up to restore default view.Tal Tamr (Syria) (AFP) – Scattered fighting flared in northern Syria on Friday despite a ceasefire deal as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned he would resume a full-scale operation against Kurdish forces if they do not withdraw from a border „safe zone.”US President Donald Trump said Erdogan told him there had been „minor sniper and mortar fire” in the region „that was quickly eliminated” and the Turkish leader assured him in a call that „he very much wants the ceasefire, or pause, to work.”Mustefa Bali, a spokesman for the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), accused Turkey, however, of violating the ceasefire deal reached during a visit to Ankara on Thursday by US Vice President Mike Pence.”Despite the agreement to halt the fighting, air and artillery attacks continue to target the positions of fighters, civilian settlements and the hospital” in the border town of Ras al-Ain in northeastern Syria, he said.US Senator Lindsey Graham, who has strongly criticized Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, said he had spoken with SDF commander General Mazloum Abdi, who expressed concerns about the situation.”General Mazloum is concerned about the ceasefire holding and was emphatic that he will never agree to the ethnic cleansing of Kurds that is being proposed in Ankara,” Graham said.”A buffer zone is acceptable to the Kurds but a military occupation that displaces hundreds of thousands is not a safe zone,” Graham said. „It is ethnic cleansing.”The deal brokered by Pence was meant to provide a five-day pause for the evacuation of Kurdish fighters from a „safe zone” Turkey wants to control along its border with Syria. Ankara considers the Kurdish forces to be „terrorists” linked to Kurdish rebels inside Turkey.”If the promises are kept until Tuesday evening, the safe zone issue will be resolved,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. „If it fails, the operation… will start the minute 120 hours are over.”The suspension of hostilities looked designed to help Turkey achieve its main territorial goals without fighting, but its Syrian proxies continued to clash with Kurdish fighters on Friday.Fourteen civilians were killed in Turkish air strikes and mortar fire by allied Syrian fighters in and around the village of Bab al-Kheir, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The Britain-based war monitor said eight fighters of the SDF — the de facto army of the embattled Kurdish autonomous region — also died.- No enforcement by US troops -US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who accompanied Pence to Ankara, said in an interview with Politico he was „confident” the ceasefire would take hold.”You always want it to happen faster, cleaner in a more straightforward way,” Pompeo said. „But we have some additional reporting that’s not public that suggests that we think the path is still clear to being successful.”Under the deal, Kurdish forces are required to withdraw from a border strip 32 kilometres (20 miles) deep.Pentagon chief Mark Esper said Friday that US troops were continuing their „deliberate withdrawal” from northeast Syria.”No US ground forces will participate in the enforcement of this safe zone, however, we will remain in communication with both Turkey and the SDF,” Esper said.A senior Pentagon official said US forces would carry out aerial reconnaissance of the „safe zone” with the goal of watching over prisons holding Islamic State fighters.Thousands of IS fighters and their family members are held in Kurdish-run jails and camps across northern Syria.The Kurds have said hundreds of IS-linked women and children have escaped a camp, while other reports have emerged of a handful of jihadist breakouts.The prospect of thousands of the world’s most radical jihadists escaping in the chaos caused by Turkey’s invasion has caused widespread alarm.Trump said Friday that „some” European countries, which he did not name, „are now willing, for the first time, to take the (captured IS) Fighters that came from their nations.””This is good news, but should have been done after WE captured them,” he said.- ‘Complicated region’ -The Turkish offensive was sparked by Trump’s abrupt withdrawal of US troops from Syria, a move which triggered fierce bipartisan criticism in Washington.Kurdish forces have put up fierce resistance in Ras al-Ain, with a network of tunnels, berms and trenches that held off the Turkish onslaught for a week.On Friday afternoon, an AFP correspondent on the Turkish side of the border saw a big column of black smoke rise from Ras al-Ain, though it was unclear what was burning.The Turkish military and its Syrian proxies — mostly Arab and Turkmen former rebels used as a ground force — have so far seized around 120 kilometres (70 miles) of territory along the border.More than 500 people have been killed on the two sides, including nearly 100 civilians, while around 300,000 have been displaced, according to the Observatory.The SDF fought alongside US forces to defeat IS in Syria and Iraq, but Trump has argued that it was no longer the US role to ensure calm in the volatile area.”It’s a complicated region,” Trump said. „Sometimes you have to go through some pain to get a good solution.”

World Syria Truce Shaky as Erdogan, Kurds Disagree on What It Means

Bloomberg•October 18, 2019Syria Truce Shaky as Erdogan, Kurds Disagree on What It Means(Bloomberg) — Kurdish fighters say they have no intention of withdrawing from Syria’s entire northeastern border — but that’s exactly what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expects to happen under the cease-fire accord brokered by the U.S. on Thursday.The conflicting interpretations point to the fragility of the five-day truce deal, which is already being tested with reports of continuing skirmishes between Turkish forces and Syria’s Kurdish YPG militia, which is part of an autonomous administration in the northeast.Ankara says the YPG is linked to Kurdish separatists that it has battled for decades, and launched an offensive into northeastern Syria more than a week ago to push the group back from its border.After days of fighting, Turkey’s army now controls less than 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the frontier between the Syrian towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn. But it wants to create a buffer zone on hundreds more, stretching from the Euphrates River in the west to the Iraqi border in the east.The deal struck by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Erdogan — under which American troops would guide a YPG exit — was vague on detail. But Turkey has made its interpretation clear.Turkish officials including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu were quick to boast that they had been given pretty much all they desired.With the ink on the agreement barely dry, Erdogan made it clear that the Kurds must leave a zone 444 km long and as deep as 32 km.“If their promise is not kept the minute when the 120th hour ends, then our operation will continue with even more determination from where it was left off,” Erdogan said in Istanbul on Friday.Turkey, U.S. Agree to Brief Cease-Fire to Allow Kurdish RetreatBut the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, General Mazloum Abdi, sees it differently. He said Thursday night the cease-fire deal was limited to the 120-km stretch between Tal Abyad and Ras Al-Ayn.Jim Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for the Syria conflict who was with Pence in Ankara, highlighted the potential obstacle to a lasting deal. “The Turks talk about an aspirational safe zone,” he said, while the U.S. has only defined a central section of the northeast corridor, where Turkish forces have penetrated as deep as 30 kilometers. With Kurdish-led forces vowing not to accept a “Turkish occupation of Syrian territory,” the fighting might not be over yet.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event where he congratulated astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch as they conduct the first all-female spacewalk, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) — The shifting White House explanation for President Donald Trump’s decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine drew alarm Friday from Republicans as the impeachment inquiry brought a new test of their alliance.Trump, in remarks at the White House, stood by his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, whose earlier comments undermined the administration’s defense in the impeachment probe. Speaking Thursday at a news conference, Mulvaney essentially acknowledged a quid pro quo with Ukraine that Trump has long denied, saying U.S. aid was withheld from Kyiv to push for an investigation of the Democratic National Committee and the 2016 election. He later clarified his remarks.Trump appeared satisfied with Mulvaney’s clarification and the president dismissed the entire House inquiry as „a terrible witch hunt. This is so bad for our country.”But former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who ran against Trump in the 2016 Republican primary, said he now supports impeaching the president.Mulvaney’s admission, he said, was the „final straw.” ”The last 24 hours has really forced me to review all of this,” Kasich said on CNN.In Congress, at least one Republican, Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida, spoke out publicly, telling reporters that he and others were concerned by Mulvaney’s remarks. Rooney said he’s open to considering all sides in the impeachment inquiry. He also said Mulvaney’s comments cannot simply undone by a follow-up statement.”It’s not an Etch-A-Sketch,” said Rooney, a former ambassador to the Holy See under President George W. Bush.”The only thing I can assume is, he meant what he had to say — that there was a quid pro quo on this stuff,” he said.The tumult over Mulvaney’s remarks capped a momentous week in the impeachment investigation as the admission, from highest levels of the administration, undercut the White House defense and pushed more evidence into the inquiry.GOP leaders tried to contain the fallout. But four weeks into the inquiry, the events around Trump’s interaction with the Ukraine president, which are are at the heart of impeachment, have upended Washington.

Scroll back up to restore default view.By Jan WolfeWASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawyers for U.S. President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign have threatened in a letter to sue CNN for what they said was the network falsely advertising itself as a news organization, calling on executives to first discuss an „appropriate resolution” to the matter that would include a „substantial” payment to cover damages.The letter, dated Oct. 16 and made public on Friday, is the latest threat by Trump to sue a media organization over what he sees as unfair media coverage since launching his 2016 presidential campaign, although no lawsuits have been filed.“This is nothing more than a desperate PR stunt and doesn’t merit a response,” a CNN spokesman said in an email.Rebecca Tushnet, a professor of false advertising law at Harvard Law School, said there was „no merit” to the letter’s legal arguments and that she doubted a lawsuit would ever be filed.The letter was signed by Charles Harder, who has sent similar threats to media organizations on Trump’s behalf.Last year, Harder suggested Trump would take legal action against the New York Times for an investigative report on his business empire, calling it „highly defamatory.”Harder also threatened a libel lawsuit over “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” by author Michael Wolff, a book that portrayed an inept president in a fumbling White House.Trump has frequently lashed out at CNN and other news organizations, calling them „fake news” and „the enemy of the people.”On Nov. 7, 2018, the day after congressional elections, Trump erupted into anger during a news conference when CNN’s White House correspondent Jim Acosta questioned him about the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election and a migrant caravan traveling through Mexico.The White House suspended Acosta’s credentials later that day, alleging Acosta had put his hands on an intern who was trying to take a microphone from him. Videos of the encounter show Acosta pulling back as the intern moved to take the microphone.The White House later restored Acosta’s press access, ending a lawsuit brought by CNN challenging the revocation as a violation of the reporter’s constitutional rights. A judge had issued a temporary ruling in CNN’s favor.(Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Susan Heavey, Editing by Franklin Paul and Steve Orlofsky)

Politics Perry on Ukraine efforts: ‘There was no quid pro quo’

Politico•October 18, 2019Perry on Ukraine efforts: ‘There was no quid pro quo’Energy Secretary Rick Perry emphatically denied anything improper occurred as part of the Trump administration’s efforts in Ukraine and said he was comfortable consulting with the president’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani in those pursuits.In a pair of interviews broadcast Friday, Perry defended the administration’s efforts in Ukraine — he was known as one of the administration’s “three amigos” on Ukrainian policy — as a genuine effort to fight general corruption in the country and said he never heard any effort to seek political ammunition against former Vice President Joe Biden now at the center of an impeachment inquiry in the House. Perry, who announced his resignation Thursday, said he would follow the advice of Energy Department lawyers on how to respond to a congressional subpoena by Friday’s deadline.“There was no quid pro quo in the sense of what those folks out there would like for it to be: We’re [not] going to give you this money unless you go investigate Joe Biden and his son,” Perry said in a Fox News interview. “I never heard that said anywhere, anytime in any conversation.” „Never heard the Bidens name at one time,” he added. „Not with anyone.”Perry said he was comfortable working with Giuliani at Trump’s direction, adding he commonly consulted with non-governmental experts while serving as governor of Texas.“I respect the State Department but I happen to know people in the energy industry that are smarter than the State Department folks,” Perry said. “I didn’t see a problem with that at all.”Perry said he pressed Trump to make the now-infamous July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but defended the administration’s efforts to root out corruption in that country as “completely and absolutely legitimate.”“I pushed on him a lot to make that phone call because I became convinced that Zelensky, the people around him were legitimately trying to get rid of the corruption and get off the Russian gas,” he said, referring to Ukraine’s reliance on Russia for its natural gas supplies.Perry added that he also pushed former national security adviser John Bolton and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on those issues.

Mulvaney on quid pro quo: ‘We do that all the time’ WASHINGTON — It was not the message that the White House and its supporters have been trying to hammer home in recent weeks as the impeachment investigation has intensified on Capitol Hill: Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said Thursday that President Donald Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine in part to pressure Kyiv to pursue a politically motivated investigation into the 2016 election.His comments — even after he issued a statement walking back his remarks — undercut weeks of denials from Trump, his aides, Republican lawmakers and the conservative news media that the president was seeking a quid pro quo in his dealings with the new Ukrainian president. Some of their statements were focused on a July 25 phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine in which Trump repeatedly brought up his desire for investigations into political rivals. Others touched specifically on Trump’s decision in July to hold up the $391 million package of security aid to Ukraine, a development that government officials there said they only learned about at the end of August.OCT. 16, 20191. President Donald Trump“Now, all of a sudden, quid pro quo doesn’t matter because now they see, in the call, there was no quid pro quo.”— In remarks at the White HouseThe New York Times also found several other instances of Trump’s proclaiming “no quid pro quo” on Twitter, in remarks to reporters, in news conferences and at political rallies.OCT. 3, 20192. Vice President Mike Pence“Contrast that with the president’s — the transcript of the president’s phone call with President Zelenskiy where there was no quid pro quo. There was no pressure.”— In remarks to reportersOCT. 3, 20193. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.“What we do know is there was definitely no quid pro quo. I mean, it came out over and over.”— In remarks to reportersOCT. 13, 20194. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin“In the Oval Office, when the president was asked about this in front of the vice premier, the president made very clear, they can do what they want. So, again, people who are trying to imply that the president is asking for things or quid pro quos, I think this is ridiculous.”— In an interview on ABC

World Kurdish General Said to Reject Turkish Occupation: Syria UpdateBloomberg•October 18, 2019Kurdish General Said to Reject Turkish Occupation: Syria Update(Bloomberg) — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined his understanding of the Turkish-patrolled “safe zone” in northern Syria, saying the U.S. and Russia should also play a role in maintaining a corridor that he wants to stretch along a vast section of Turkey’s border.A deal reached with a top U.S. delegation on Thursday — which secured a 120-hour cease-fire — required Kurdish fighters to withdraw from an area 444 km long and 32 km deep, the president told foreign reporters in Istanbul on Friday. “This is what we call the safe zone. The safe zone is not just the area between Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad which is yet to be cleared.”But Erdogan’s view clashes with that of the Kurdish YPG, a U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State. It’s unclear how American officials interpret Thursday’s pact when it comes to defining the area from which the militia must withdraw.Erdogan denied that fighting took place between Turkish troops and Kurdish forces on Friday. However, Syrian state-run Sana news agency said five people were killed in a Turkish airstrike in the Ras Al-Ayn area.Here is a rundown of major events in Turkish local time:Key Developments Turkish markets rally a day after the U.S.-Turkey deal. Borsa Istanbul-100 index is up 3.7%, most since June 7, as of 5:31 p.m. Two-year government bond yields fell 137 basis points, most since August 2018, to 14.29%. The lira appreciated 1.6% against the dollar in the past two daysU.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Erdogan announced cease-fire deal in Ankara after marathon talks on ThursdayTrump faces Congressional rebuke for Syria pulloutKurdish General Said to Reject Turkish Occupation (11:27 p.m.)In a phone call with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, Syrian Democratic Forces commander General Mazloum Abdi said Kurdish fighters are concerned about the cease-fire holding and will not stand by if “hundreds of thousands” of Kurds are pushed out of the so-called safe zone in northern Syria, according to a statement by Graham after the call.“I hope we can find a win-win situation, but I share General Mazloum’s concerns,” Graham, a key Republican foreign policy hawk who strongly criticized Trump’s decision to begin withdrawing troops, said. “I also told him that Congress will stay very involved and is extremely sympathetic to the plight of the Kurds.”

By Lizbeth Diaz and Dave Graham,Reuters•October 18, 2019 Cartel gunmen free El Chapo’s son, cause jailbreak in Mexican cityVideo Not Available Unfortunately, this video is not available in your region.SS-100-202 MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Heavily armed cartel fighters surrounded security forces and made them free one of drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman’s sons, whose brief apprehension triggered intense gunbattles across the city of Culiacan.Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said a patrol by National Guard militarized police first came under attack from within a house in the city, 600 km (370 miles) northwest of Mexico City.After entering the house, they found four men including Ovidio Guzman, who is accused of drug trafficking in the United States.The patrol was quickly overpowered by cartel gunmen, however, and the decision was taken to withdraw to protect the lives of the National Guard and restore calm in the city, where gangsters had set up roadblocks and were unleashing heavy automatic gunfire, Durazo said.”The decision was taken to retreat from the house, without Guzman to try to avoid more violence in the area and preserve the lives of our personnel and recover calm in the city,” Durazo said.

Cartel gunmen are seen outside during clashes with federal forces following the detention of Ovidio Guzman, son of drug kingpin Joaquin „El Chapo” Guzman, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Jesus Bustamante

The chaotic scenes in Culiacan, long a stronghold for the Guzmans’ Sinaloa cartel, will increase pressure on President Lopez Obrador, who took office in December promising to pacify a country weary after more than a decade of drug-war fighting. Murders this year are set to be at a record high.

The scenes in Sinaloa follow the massacre of more than a dozen police in western Mexico earlier this week, and the killing of 14 suspected gangsters by the army a day later.

A cartel gunmen wearing a flack jacket stands next to his vehicle during clashes with federal forces following the detention of Ovidio Guzman, son of drug kingpin Joaquin „El Chapo” Guzman, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Jesus Bustamante

‘El Chapo’ Guzman led the Sinaloa cartel for decades, escaping from prison twice before being arrested and extradited to the United States. He was found guilty in a U.S. court in February of smuggling tons of drugs and sentenced to life in prison.

He is believed to have about 12 children including Ovidio. The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled an indictment against Ovidio and another of the brothers in February, charging them with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana in the United States.

The indictment gave Ovidio’s age as 28, and said he had been involved in trafficking conspiracies since he was a teenager.

Murderer who triggered Hong Kong protests will go to Taiwan: pastor

Xinqi SU,AFP•October 18, 2019A shopkeeper in Hong Kong watches masked students and protesters gather to form a human chain involving thousands, in opposition to a colonial-era emergency law that bans face masks at demonstrations (AFP Photo/Ed JONES)A man who inadvertently triggered Hong Kong’s huge protests after he murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan has agreed to return to the island to face justice, a clergyman who has visited him in prison said on Friday.Chan Tong-kai, 20, is wanted in Taiwan for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend during a holiday the two Hong Kongers took there in February last year.He fled back to the southern Chinese city where Taiwanese police were unable to apprehend him because there is no extradition agreement between the two territories.The case triggered an ill-fated proposal by Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government to ram through a sweeping extradition bill which would have allowed the city to extradite suspects to any territory, including the authoritarian mainland.The proposal sparked a massive public backlash with record-breaking crowds hitting the streets.The protests have since snow-balled as the movement seeks greater democracy and police accountability after Beijing and local leaders took a hard line and violence escalated.Now the man who set off this tumultuous chain of events has indicated he is willing to go to Taiwan for prosecution.Chan is currently serving a short jail sentence in Hong Kong after he was convicted earlier this year of stealing his girlfriend’s possessions during a trial in which he did not dispute murdering Poon Hiu-wing.He is due for release next week.- ‘Keep his word’ -Reverend Peter Koon, an Anglican clergyman, has visited him regularly in prison and said he was willing to hand himself over to Taiwanese authorities.”I believe he will keep his word,” Koon told AFP, adding Chan had instructed a team of Taiwanese lawyers and had converted to Christianity in prison.”He expressed great regret for the victim’s family and he was very sorry for causing such trouble in Hong Kong,” Koon added, calling Chan’s decision „brave”.Taiwan maintains the death penalty for murder, but Koon said Chan was unlikely to get that if he voluntarily surrendered.The revelation comes as Hong Kong witnessed a 20th consecutive weekend of protests.On Friday night, thousands of protesters formed human chains outside multiple subway stations to protest against city leaders using a colonial-era emergency law to ban face masks at protests.

Many of those at Friday night’s rally defied the ban by covering their face.

Yu Law, 33, had fashioned a mask in the shape of a camera and was protesting in Tsim Sha Tsui district.

„If we don’t march now, we may not have the chance in the future,” she told AFP.

Earlier in the day police rejected an application for a large rally on Sunday, saying they feared hardcore protesters would hijack it and it would turn violent.

The application was made by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), a group that advocates non-violence and organised marches earlier in the summer with millions hitting the streets.

Its leader Jimmy Sham was hospitalised on Wednesday after he was attacked by men wielding hammers.

While the CHRF’s rallies have begun peacefully, masked protesters have routinely clashed with police later on.

Previous protest rejections by police have been widely ignored by protesters and quickly turn violent.

US forces destroyed the former base of counter-ISIS operations in Syria, according to a release from Operation Inherent Resolve sent out on Wednesday.

The statement says that the operation was pre-planned, but former Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Brett McGurk called the operation a „break glass” procedure used only in extreme emergencies.

US President Donald Trump’s hasty decision to pull US troops out of northeastern Syria last Sunday continued to spiral out of control when, a week after Turkey began its incursion into the region, US forces attacked the base of their counter-ISIS operations in Syria in a move one former official called a „break glass” procedure „reserved for an extreme worst-case scenario.”

On Wednesday, US troops vacated the LaFarge Cement Factory base, which they shared with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters. The SDF fighters lit their area on fire and left, according to reports, and US troops threatened oncoming Turkish-backed forces with Apache helicopters and F-15E fighter aircraft in a show of force.When that failed to stop the forces’ advance, the US troops withdrew, and two F-15Es attacked the base in a „pre-planned” attempt to destroy munitions and other supplies inside and limit the „facility’s military usefulness,” according to Col. Myles B. Caggins, a spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, the US’s anti-ISIS operation. Brett McGurk, the former Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS under Trump and former President Barack Obama, tweeted Wednesday that the attack on the facility was an „emergency ‘break glass’ evacuation procedure reserved for an extreme worst-case scenario.”Insider reached out to the Department of Defense with questions regarding whether the US planned to destroy other bases, and whether the destruction of the LaFarge Cement Factory base was normal operating procedure, but the DoD did not respond to Insider’s query by publication time.Read more:3 of America’s biggest adversaries are now united against the US in the Middle EastThe US does destroy equipment such as vehicles that it does not want in the hands of adversaries and does not have the capability to remove. According to CNN, the attack Wednesday was the first known instance in which US forces have destroyed equipment during the withdrawal from Syria.Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Wisconsin and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, submitted a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Thursday requesting more information about the destruction and abandonment of US military facilities and equipment in Syria. In the letter, Pocan referred to Trump’s withdrawal as „reckless” and warned against „poor decision-making while withdrawing troops from current conflicts or spending American taxpayer dollars in a foolish manner.”A spokesperson for Pocan told Insider that his office learned of the air strike from a CNN report and „there was not enough information” about what happened and the decision making around it. „This is clearly a part of a snowballing effect of the president’s policy in Syria,” he said — a policy that has „no intentionality or organization.”The spokesperson said Pocan’s office had not yet received a response to the letter. NOW WATCH: A new underwater memorial honors US military veterans and serves as an artificial reef to preserve marine life